Feeling under the weather, need advice.

So, I need some advice; for the past two weeks or so I’ve been feeling under the weather. About two weeks ago, I came down with a cold, it’s fall here in MN and the season is changing and getting colder (well, it just snowed, so it’s like 20 degrees.) anyway, I was having a coughing attack so bad I couldn’t breathe, I went into the urgent care and they said that my asthma was acting up, and gave me a nebulizer, they sent me on my way with some new nebulizer meds and a new inhaler.

Anyway, ever since then I’ve been coughing a lot, physically I feel fine, my body feels fine, my head feels fine, I don’t feel run down or anything, everything is just dandy except for this hacking, dry cough, I cannot get rid of it; I’m not coughing anything up; mucus or otherwise, my throat is just sore from all this coughing, it also feels dry, like no matter how much water I drink it’s not enough or there’s not enough moisture. I don’t cough a lot during the day, just at night when I’m getting ready for bed or not doing much of anything.

If I don’t feel better by this weekend, I am going to the doctor again, but does anybody have any sort of remedy for a cough? It’s just getting annoying and starting to bother me. My inhaler and nebulizer do seem to help but not for like a prolonged period. 🙁

buzzingbridex: I think this is just something that’s going around. Sounds a lot like what I had in September. The cough stuck around for over a month, and now almost 2 months later, I’m no longer coughing but my voice is still scratchy. Very weird. I know a couple other people who’ve had a mild cold recently with a cough that lingered forever. Don’t really think a doctor can do much… maybe a prescription cough med might help, but I just drank a lot of water and took OTC stuff.

I’m experiencing the same thing, with the cough only being really bad at night. Every now and then I do cough up mucus, though. The NP at the urgent care I went to on Saturday diagnosed me with bronchitis. The benzonatate pearls they prescribed did nothing for me. I called them today, and they prescribed a cough syrup. My first dose was 3 hours ago, but I’m still coughing a bit.

My only real relief has been lozenges. Not the nasty tasting ones either, but the Hall’s strawberry Fruit Breezers.

This is something I go through about once every year. It takes me weeks to get rid of it.

Thanks guys, I’m glad I’m not the only one dealing with this cough going around. I know coworkers and stuff have been coughign a lot, and it’s more the hacking like me, so something is going around, hopefully I feel better soon, this sore throat and cough are driving me bananas.

strawbabies: The only thing that seems to help my cough are those nasty Halls strawberry or honey and lemon cough drops. I hate using them because literally all I can smell or taste is cough drops but I guess you gotta do what you gotta do.

If your an asthma sufferer, these kinds of dibilating coughs are common this time of year. I usually end up using a corticosteroid inhaler and it really helps immensely open up your broncial tubes. I had something very similar to you last year and had this ongoing cough for so long that my internist sent me for all types of testing and my oxygen level was even low. Nothing to mess around with. I started a medrol dose pack and my inhaler and after suffering for nearly 3 weeks, I was feeling better after two days.

buzzingbridex: I had a cold not too long ago that left me with a cough like that for up to 3 weeks. I was coughing up mucus a bit so it wasn’t a dry cough. I bet your doctor could give you a cough suppressant.

This is going to sound crazy, and I have to be honest that I’ve never actually tried it, BUT the pregnant girl who sits across from me at work SWEARS by this (family remedy, I think it’s a cultural thing?): mix equal parts honey with (preferrably fresh) ground black pepper, until it’s a thick paste. Eat little bits at a time. Something about the combination is supposed to make your cough stop! She told me this because I was coughing CONSTANTLY — unfortunately, I never actually got to try this remedy because I found out later that day that I had (/am still recovering from, this was a recent event) pneumonia, so I’ve been on antibiotics + a temporary inhaler for breathing stuff, and those have made my cough go away. But you should try the honey + black pepper and report back!!

Are you using a steroid inhaler and a ventolin (bronchodilator)? What directions did you get re the use of the steroid inhaler if you are on one? You may need to increase the dose initially, then taper down after the cough is under control. Talk to a doctor or a pharmacist if you need help.

I have asthma and I suffer from dry coughing spells relatively often, sometimes after an illness the dry hack lasts months. The best thing for me, hot water, hot tea… all day and night. Seriously, drink HOT beverages often. Peppermint tea is a favorite of mine, warm water with some lemon and honey is good too.

Steamy showers and Hall lozenges will help a little. A Robitussen cough supressant *as long as there isn’t a lot of mucus* is helpful for nighttime.

I thought I’d let everybody know that I’m feeling much better. 🙂 I’m still coughing, but I’m not hacking as much (lovely, right?) the halls seem to be helping, and I’m drinking tea. I also bought a humidifier because my apartment is SO dry, so that seems to be helping with the coughing at night.